A Tuesday Afternoon
by webofdreams89
Summary: The day Toph always dreaded had finally come.


A Tuesday Afternoon

Summary: The day Toph always dreaded had finally come.

Rating: K

Word count: 805

* * *

After Aang defeated the Firelord, many things changed. Zuko took control of the Fire Kingdom and for the first time in a hundred years, alliances formed between all each of the kingdoms. The leaders of the Earth Kingdom, Fire Kingdom, Southern and Northern Water Tribes, and Avatar Aang met and signed a treaty, securing peace across the lands. Republic City was founded to serve as a beacon of peace, a place that earthbenders, waterbenders, firebenders, and nonbenders alike could live together and prosper. The world had changed.

But in some regards, change was slow. There were still many things that were looked down upon, ridiculed and stigmatized. Lin found this out early on because the acceptance of fatherless little girls was one of these things that remained slow to change.

"What do you know?" one of the boys in Lin's class teased, sticking his tongue out at her. "You're just a bastard!"

They had been five. None of them even knew what a bastard was at the point, the boys picking up the word from gossiping and disapproving parents.

"What's wrong, Linny?" Toph asked as Katara dropped her off that day after school, kneeling before her daughter to take her into her arms.

"I tried to find out what was wrong," Katara said, frowning. She knew how people were and had her suspicions. "She wouldn't tell me."

"It was boys," Tenzin said quietly, solemnly holding his mother's hand. Bumi and Kya chased each other, giggling.

Picking Lin up, Toph smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Katara."

Katara smiled back. "Of course, Toph. Anything." Glancing back at her friend, Katara said, "Feel free to stop by for dinner if you don't feel like cooking. Not sure what Aang's making for dinner, but it should be edible at least."

"I might just take you up on that," Toph said with a laugh.

Turning her attention back to her children, she said, "Come on kids. Let's get home and see what Daddy's come up with for dinner. Say bye to Aunt Toph."

"Bye!" the three children said.

"See you later, kids," Toph said.

Toph brought Lin inside and sat her down at the kitchen table. Grabbing a juice box and package of crackers, she sat down next to her daughter. "Tell me what's wrong, sweetie," she said, quickly kissing her daughter atop her head.

Lin was quiet for a long time before she finally looked over at Toph. "Mommy, what's a bastard?" she asked.

Inwardly, Toph groaned. She knew that this would come up someday, she'd just hoped Lin would have been older. She'd wanted to protect her daughter for as long as she could.

"We don't say that work, okay Lin?" Toph began. "It's a really mean word that people use to hurt others."

"Like butthead?" Lin asked before covering her mouth quickly.

Toph laughed. "Sort of like that. A bastard is a child that was born to an unwed mother."

"Unwed?" Lin asked curiously. Her tears had finally slowed.

"Not married," Toph explained.

"Aunt Katara and Uncle Aang are married, right?"

"Right."

Pouting, Lin said, "I still don't get what it means, though."

Toph reached forward and pulled her daughter onto her lap. "Some people think it's bad when a mommy makes a baby without being married to the daddy and they take it out on the baby by calling them that mean word. But that doesn't make it right, not at all. They're not any better than you are. If it was a sin to make you without being married, then that's Mommy's sin, not yours, Linny. You're innocent. You're perfect, and Mommy loves you so much."

Lin smiled. "I love you too, Mommy," she said, hugging her. Pulling away, she asked, "Is Uncle Aang my daddy?"

Toph laughed. "No, Uncle Aang is Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi's daddy."

After a moment, Lin frowned. "Is Uncle Sokka my daddy?"

Toph was quiet for a long time, simply hugging her daughter to her. "Mommy loves Uncle Sokka very much, and there was a time when I would have liked him to be your daddy, but isn't."

"Oh," Lin said, pulling away to grab a cookie from the package.

Kissing her forehead, Toph said, "Someday, I'll tell you about your daddy, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy," Lin said, taking a bite.

"How about we have earthbending practice right now, and then go to Aunt Katara and Uncle Aang's for dinner?"

"Yay! I missed Tenzin," Lin said, throwing her arms up. Toph had to grab her quickly to keep her from falling off her lap. Jumping off Toph's lap, Lin ran for the back door for practice.

Sighing, Toph buried her face in her hands. She knew that she had to tell Lin the truth someday. Toph stood then, snatching a cookie and heading out the back door to join her daughter.


End file.
